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Malala Yousafzai, the 16-year-old girl from Pakistan who was shot in the head by the Taliban last October for advocating education for girls, speaks about her fight for girls' education on the International Day of the Girl, Friday, Oct. 11, 2013, at the World Bank in Washington.
(Susan Walsh | The Associated Press)

It was a big week for Malala Yousafzai, the 16-year-old Pakistani girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 while going home from school.

On Friday she met with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in the Oval Office, the same day that she missed out on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Her memoir "I am Malala" was published on Tuesday.

"I thanked President Obama for the United States' work in supporting education in Pakistan and Afghanistan and for Syrian refugees," Yousafzai told The Associated Press. "I also expressed my concerns that drone attacks are fueling terrorism. Innocent victims are killed in these acts, and they lead to resentment among the Pakistani people. If we refocus efforts on education it will make a big impact."

In a statement, the White House said the president signed a proclamation at the meeting to mark Friday as the International Day of the Girl. The statement says:

"On every continent, there are girls who will go on to change the world in ways we can only imagine, if only we allow them the freedom to dream."

Yousafzai had been considered a front runner for the Nobel Peace Prize, which instead went to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on Friday.

OPCW was formed in 1997 to enforce the Chemical Weapons Convention, a treaty outlawing chemical weapons use, according to USA Today.

The group was called upon by the United Nations this year to investigate alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

The decision to snub Yousafzai in favor of the OPCW has been met by some criticism.

Abdulwahab Sayed Omar, a Syrian opposition activist based in London, praised efforts to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, but raised concern that giving the award to the OPCW would detract from other elements of the conflict in Syria. He told USA Today:

"I don't think people in Syria will be celebrating because they don't see what is going on at the moment to be of their benefit. While chemical weapons are a major threat, what are we doing to prevent conventional weapons being used against people on a daily basis?"

Meanwhile fans of Yousafzai, an outspoken proponent of women's rights to education in Pakistan, were disappointed that she was denied the award.

"Irrespective of her young age, she is a refreshing voice and a young crusader and Islamic world needs more voices like her," said Nayeem Akhtar, a politician in Kashmir. "I was looking forward to a Nobel for her and am disappointed."

But some cheered the Nobel Committee's choice, including members of the Pakistani Taliban that tried to kill her.

In a statement by spokesman Shahidullah Shahid, the group said it was "very good news" that she was not awarded, according to NBC. They referred to her as an "immature girl."

The group has also threatened to make another attempt on Yousafzai's life if the opportunity arises, and to kill shopkeepers in Pakistan who sell copies of her memoir.

While Western media has largely celebrated Yousafzai, a recent New York Times article paints a different picture of what people think of her in her home country.

"Everyone knows about Malala, but they do not want to affiliate with her," said Farrukh Atiq, a district official for an all-girls school in Swat Valley. The Times reports that a fear of the Taliban returning to power in the region has stoked hostility towards Yousafzai.

"I am against Malala," said Muhammad Ayaz, 22, a trader who runs a small store beside Yousafzai's old school in Mingora. "The media has projected Malala as a heroine of the West. But what has she done for Swat?"

The Times also reports that conspiracy theorists in Pakistan have questioned the legitimacy of the attack on Yousafzai's life, suggesting she may in fact be a U.S. Intelligence agent involved in a plot to humiliate and pressure the government in Pakistan.

"How can a girl survive after being shot in the head?" asked Muhammad Asim, a student at Punjab University. "It doesn't make sense," he said, dismissing the attack as a made for TV drama.

What are your thoughts on Malala Yousafzai's meeting with the president and her Nobel Prize snub? Leave a comment below.